Towing Row in Pune Escalates: Man Assaulted with Helmet, Wife’s Phone Snatched
Hinjawadi, 27th January 2026: What began as a routine towing of a vehicle quickly turned violent in Hinjawadi, leaving a local resident injured and sparking outrage. The incident unfolded on Saturday evening, on the busy Wakad–Hinjawadi Road, when a parking dispute escalated between a towing operator and the vehicle owner.
Tejas Bhausaheb Aher (31), a Wakad resident originally from Nashik, approached the towing site near Saundarya Garden – Kitchen & Bar around 6:45 pm after his two-wheeler was towed from a no-parking zone. He reportedly requested the release of his vehicle and expressed his willingness to pay the penalty.
The situation escalated when the towing operator, identified as 27-year-old Rushikesh Pawar, insisted that the fine could only be settled at the depot. The disagreement quickly turned hostile, with the operator allegedly verbally abusing Aher and his wife. Eyewitnesses say Pawar then struck Aher on the head with a helmet, causing injuries, and snatched the wife’s mobile phone while she tried to record the incident, throwing it onto the road.
Following the complaint, Hinjawadi Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Pawar for causing hurt, provoking breach of peace, and mischief. Assistant Police Inspector Wangnekar is overseeing the ongoing investigation.
The accused is currently absconding, and police are actively tracing him.
